Broken timing belt, replace valves and belt or parts car?

[TheWanderer]

OK, so I found a 94 5 speed talon at the yard, still intact, hasn't been stripped yet,.. The owner of the yard is friends with my girlfriend's dad, so I think I can get a good deal on it. It has a broken timing belt, so I am assuming the valves are bent... Would I be better off replacing the timing components and doing a valve job, or just using it for parts for my 92? Its my understanding from some of the posts on this site that the 92.3-94+ model years were the start of the 7 bolt motors... Is this correct?

My original idea was to buy the motor, trans, and ecu (I know the ecu's are hard to find for cheap, its 25 from the yard) as well as any 5 spd DSM around here... But now I am thinking of buying it as a project car, turboing it, and driving the 92 (really is a 91.5) as a daily driver...

What do you guys think? is it worth it, and how much would you suggest offering him? It would probably be a salvage title, or even a reconstructed title, but would it be worth the hassle of doing a valve job and timing belt to have a second vehicle?

 

[pj91gsx]

it really depends on what the pistons look like, if the decision were mine I would fix it only if the pistons were not tearably damaged. If you buy it without knowing how bad it is then expect the worst. Yes it is a 7 bolt, 7 bolts started in late 92. The 93 and up transmissions are better than the 92 and below.

 

[TheWanderer]

This is probably a stupid question, but is it possible to use a 6 bolt head on a 7 bolt block? or is it possible to use the 7 bolt trans on a 6 bolt motor? I would assume its impossible, seeing as the bolt pattern is different...

If I do decide to buy the car, can anyone tell me what they know about [/rl=http://www.machv.com/comenrebkit.html]THIS[/url] rebuilt kit? Anyone used it or any of their products before? What kind of perfomance can I push out of it? Would I be able to run the turbo kit in a non turbo, so that if I decide later I want to turbo it, I have the option without having to do another rebuild?

I guess my reasons for asking are because after what I have read on here about the 7 bolts, they are crap, and all of them are affected by crank walk in some way. Or were the 1g 7 bolts ok?

 

[xdxoxuxgx]

I would say jump on it if the rest of the car is good. You can probably get the car for real cheap and taking the head to a machine shop to get the valves replaced shouldn't cost more than $300-$400 depending. But like they said before, make sure other things, such as the pistons, aren't ruined.

 

[TheWanderer]

You're from gilbertsville eh? Think I may have seen you down in elverson about 3 weeks or so back... If not, it was someone with a car like yours...

I've been thinking about it, and I am pretty sure I am going to get it...gonna talk to the guy this weekend and see if he will sell it for about 200... Everything else is in great shape, doesnt have any visible signs of wear on it at all, and the body is straight. paint is dent and chip free, and I saw no visible rust... May even just buy a new turbo head for it and drop it on with some arp studs... gives me the option to turbo it later if I want..Found a site selling new turbo 7 bolt heads for 565 to the door...

 

[xdxoxuxgx]

Sorry to say but it wasn't me you saw in Elverson, my car hasn't been more than about 10 miles away from my house for about 3 months now .

 

[TheWanderer]

might have been when i was in boyertown checking out parts that a guy was selling off a 90 laser that was destroyed by some jackass teenager who couldnt handle a turbo... you didnt happen to snap a timing belt and have it parked in a garage down there did you?

 

[pj91gsx]

6 bolt and 7 bolt heads will work on 6 or 7 bolt blocks. Some people put 1g heads on 2g blocks. 7 bolt transmissions and 6 bolt transmissions are the same or simliar they will bolt up to 6 or 7 bolt blocks. My friend bought a 1g 1992 Eagle talon, with 167,000 miles and the previous owner drove the crap out of it and went 140 mph all the time, and it spun a rod bearing, the car was stock. I rebuilt a 6 bolt for my friend. It is suprising it spun a rod bearing instead of a main bearing, maybe 1g 7 bolts arent bad idk. If you keep your foot off the clutch when it is not necessary, you will save you main bearings.

 

[xdxoxuxgx]

Sorry to get off topic again, but yes that was my car in the garage with the timing belt problem when you came to pick up parts. Funny how people meet . And that teenager was a jackass, he beat the crap out of his car, didn't admit to it to try and make the car look bad, then drove the car off the road smashing the oil pan and destroying a perfectly good, unmodded engine. Sad to see things go like that...

 

[TheWanderer]

, tis a small world after all... Maybe we outta get all these other lazy Reading metro area bums together and get a meet goin...I saw one in chambersburg yesterday at the kmart parking lot on wayne ave...some nice looking evos and 1g's there... Its that time of year again, ...

anyway, back on topic, what do you think would be better, rebuilding the 7 bolt entirely from a kit, or just doing a valve job with new pistons and stronger valves? I know valves are cheap, but I did find a turbo 7 bolt head (i can only guess that its possible to use it without turboing the car) for about 600 online... obnly thing is, the timing stuff is still going to need done, and a timing component kit runs something like 150 from A.P.I., whereas the rebuild kit I found is 500 and the only thing I need to buy is the timing tensioner and pulleys...comes with new oil pump and pistons, plus all the gaskets... would it be worth it, in case I decide to turbo it later?

As for valves, their are 16 in the 2.0 correct? 8 for the exhaust side and 8 for the intake side?

 

[pj91gsx]

yes 8 exhaust and 8 intake, I think its like 8 dollars a vavle at parts dinosaur. Go on ebay and check out the eclipse parts. timing kit: pullys, tensioner belt balance shaft belt and pullys for 121 dollars.

 

[TheWanderer]

Actually, I'm looking at putting Evo8 sodium filled valves in if they fit and I do end up doing a valve job. Possibly replace the pistons with wiseco ones, and maybe even overbore the block .020 for the larger wiseco's...Not sure yet, seeing as all those parts alone are going to run me about 800 or so, plus I have to fkfactor in the machine shop fees and the shipping fees..

 

[pj91gsx]

dont forget the 7 bolt rods are skinny and not as good as the 1g big rods.